An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House: Including the Details of the Erection and Peculiar Structure of That Edifice; to Which Is Prefixed a Historical View of the Institution and Progress of the Northern Light-HousesStevenson, Robert
History
An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House: Including the Details of the Erection and Peculiar Structure of That Edifice; to Which Is Prefixed a Historical View of the Institution and Progress of the Northern Light-Houses
Stevenson, Robert
Bell Rock Lighthouse (Scotland); Lighthouses -- Scotland
Agreeably to this arrangement, the Prussian dogger was put into one of
the graving docks of Leith, in the month of March 1807, and underwent
a complete examination, when it was found that she required a few
new timbers in her bottom; and that to strengthen her upper works,
several new beams and additional knees were necessary. Her bottom had
to be new trenailed and caulked, and then sheathed with fir plank. Her
ceiling, or interior lining, was also caulked, and made water-tight,
in case of accident to the outer plank, in the event of her breaking
adrift, and getting upon the Bell Rock. Her deck-plank and upper works
were also entirely renewed; and from stem to stern, under deck, her
accommodations were laid out anew. She was furnished with three masts,
of a length calculated to enable her to ride with as little incumbrance
as possible in a storm; the main-mast being only thirty-five feet above
the deck, while the fore and mizen masts were each twenty-five feet.
The rigging was also made of light cordage, and she was provided with
storm-sails, to be used in the event of her breaking adrift in bad
weather. By the time, therefore, that this vessel came from the hands
of the carpenters, very little of the old work remained, as nothing
had been omitted, which could, in any manner, add to her strength and
durability. She was fitted up with births for about thirty artificers,
besides her ordinary crew and officers, amounting to thirteen in
number, independently of her hold for oil and stores of various
descriptions. In the distribution of these, the fore-peak of the ship
was allotted for the sailors; the waist for the artificers; and galley
appropriated to the cooking of the victuals. Next to this, a large
cabin was set off for the master, mate, and principal light-keeper, and
for the foremen of the works; while the after or stern part of the ship
formed a cabin for the use of the engineer.
[Sidenote: Peculiar construction of Lanterns.]
The Pharos was furnished with a large copper lantern for each mast,
containing ten lamps, with small silver-plated reflectors, ranged upon
a chandelier, moveable at pleasure, in a horizontal direction, for the
conveniency of turning the lamps to trim them and clean the reflectors.
To make the vessel ride as easily as possible, in a situation so
exposed, the lanterns were made of a peculiar construction, so as
to screw together upon the masts, in two pieces, longitudinally, as
represented in Plate X., Figs. 1, 2, and 3. By these means, the light
could be seen in every direction, without the necessity of suspending
them in the usual manner from yards, or other weighty apparatus, which
tend not only to obscure the light, but also to make the ship ride
heavily in bad weather.
[Sidenote: Construction of Moorings.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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